Rogers Media uses cookies for personalization, to customize its online advertisements, and for other purposes. Learn more or change your cookie preferences. Rogers Media supports the Digital Advertising Alliance principles. By continuing to use our service, you agree to our use of cookies.

We use cookies (why?) You can change cookie preferences. Continued site use signifies consent.

Optimism over Vancouver-Seattle-Portland high speed-rail

VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) – A feasibility report slated for release in early December is expected to outline how much it will cost to connect BC with Washington state and Oregon using high-speed rail.

Washington State Governor Jay Inslee talked about it after meeting with Premier John Horgan in Victoria on Tuesday morning.

“We’re going to look at this report in detail, but we’ve been advised that it will show this is something that could be self-sustaining and since, from an operational perspective, there are a thousand questions. They ask how to do the exact financing. Those are questions that we will have to grapple with.”

Premier John Horgan says the report should also address security concerns.

“We’re going to need to have border checks, customs activity done along the way because if we stop for an extended period of time at the border, we’re defeating the purpose, so the connections between the two jurisdictions will be strengthened as a result of the discussion and if we can get this going in a short period of time, it will benefit us all in the long term.”

Today was the first time since 1984 a governor from Washington state addressed members of BC’s legislature.

Inslee’s speech focused on tackling climate change in the Pacific Northwest, but he did not mention the expansion of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline, which is expected to significantly boost oil tanker traffic along the West Coast.